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2010 Snapshot Archive: Paul Collins

Paul Collins is best known for The Quentaris Chronicles, which he co-edits with Michael Pryor,The Jelindel Chronicles, The Earthborn Warsand The World of Grrym trilogy in collaboration with Danny Willis. Paul’s latest book is The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler.

1. Obviously there are two sides to Paul Collins: the author and the publisher. Focussing on the author for a moment, what would we have seen from Paul Collins recently?

My most recent book is The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler. Celapene Press was the publisher. A few months ago The Five Mile Press published Morgassa’s Folly, book #3 in The World of Grrym — a trilogy in collaboration with Danny Willis. This has been short-listed in the Chronos Awards. I’ve had a few short stories published this year, too. “The Sudden Snow” (short-listed in the Chronos Awards) was published in Picture This #2 (and “Deathlight” in Picture This #1(both anthologies published by Pearson). I also had a non-genre story published in Penguin’s Kids’ Night In #3. A couple of non-genre stories also appeared in the Victorian Schools magazines. Coming up is an excerpt from an as yet unpublished novel called A Wizard in Trouble. It will be published in an anthology called Worlds Next Door edited by Tehani Wessely. I have two websites that are kept reasonably up-to-date: www.paulcollins.com.au andwww.quentaris.com

More recently we’ve had My Private Pectus by Shane Thamm short-listed in the NT Read Awards; sold audio rights to that book, and sold to a book club 4,000 copies of a picture book called The Star by Felicity Marshall. Gamers’ Quest has been short-listed for the Chronos Awards.

3. What are you excited about in the next twelve months for both yourself personally, and for Ford Street?

My own writing has met a sudden death since I started Ford Street. I do have a picture book called The Glasshouse due later in 2010. Jo Thompson has created some brilliant illustrations for it. I also have a trilogy called Maximus Black on the verge of being completed. The latter has been many years in the writing — would’ve been finished a couple of years ago had Ford Street not taken over my life. As for the “beast”, I’m about to publish book #1 in a vampire series. It’s called Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows. Already Borders has got behind it and Bookseller + Publisher has supported it with an interview with Foz plus a great review. I also have a book from Chrissie Michaels called In Lonnie’s Shadow, which is set in Melbourne, around Little Lon, a notorious part of Melbourne’s past. Later in the year I’m publishing a chapter book series called Hazard River by JE Fison.

4. Which Australian writers or work would you like to see on the Hugo shortlists this year?

Apart from myself, you mean? lol. Sean McMullen is one of, if not the most under-rated SF/F writers in the country. Most seem unaware that he’s getting more stories published in major US SF magazines than anyone in Australia. It puzzles me that he gets such notice internationally yet here in Australia is virtually ignored. As they say, go figure. Other writers that I’d like to see on the list are Kate Forsyth, Trudi Canavan, Michael Pryor and Richard Harland.

5. Will you be at Aussiecon 4 in September? If so, what are you most looking forward to about it?

My business sense has taken over. I’ve booked a table in the dealers’ room — hey guys, anyone home? No one’s let me know if it’s confirmed! I’ll know a stack of people there so expect many will pop into the dealers’ room for a chat. For me, Aussiecon 4 is a chance to show our international guests, and locals too, I suspect, how good some of our books are. I’ve published quite a few spec fic books, so really want to promote them. Generally, I hope to catch up with a lot of interstate friends who I don’t get to see, and make some new friends from around Melbourne.